A request has been made to not have any media present in the courtroom in connection to the case where prosecutors alleged that two former Fenaka senior staff were involved in corruption in the process of contracting a security camera system installation at Fenaka Corporation branches.
The charges of misusing official authority were filed against Gn. Fuvahmulah, Hoadhadu, Maizaan, Mariyam Dheena Solih, who was serving as the Deputy Director of Fenaka's Procurement Department at the time, and M. Fehividhuvaruge, Ismail Sham'oon, who was Head of the Information Communication Technology Department at the time.
The charges were filed due to the alleged involvement of corruption in the awarding of a contract to Keiretsu Private Limited in June 2018. This contract was for the establishment of a camera system in all Fenaka branches, a command center at the head office, and a video conference system, as well as the subsequent disbursement of funds to the company.
As today's preliminary hearing began, Dheena's lawyer Azima Shakoor requested the trial move forward without any media present in the courtroom. She stated that the case does not need attention from the media to move forward, and that there would be no issues if the trial takes place without the media being present.
When Azima made her request, presiding Judge Ahmed Niyaz put the hearing on hold for a short while. After the hearing resumed, the judge asked that the reason for continuing the trial in secret be presented in detail.
The judge ruled that the hearing will take place with the media present in the courtroom as it is a publicly scheduled hearing. However, the judge said that he will come to a decision regarding the case to be kept a secret during the next hearing.
Along with that, Azima has requested two separate trials be held for the two who have been charged. She explained that the two who have been charged can testify against each other and that she wants to question Sham'oon as a witness on behalf of Dheena.
The prosecution objected to Azima's request. Prosecutor Ahmed Shafeeu said as the case has been charged as a singular incident, the prosecution has submitted the same pieces of evidence. And so, Shafeeu highlighted that it would be easier for the court in terms of arrangements to continue with a singular trial.
Prosecutors charged Dheena and Sham'oon today, alleging that the two individuals misused their official authority by facilitating the payment of funds to Keiretsu Private Limited before Fenaka had fully received the contracted goods.
The base penalty for this offense is imprisonment for one year, seven months, and six days.
Dheena and Sham'oon have both denied the charges. As the evidence presented by the prosecution in proving the charges have been revealed, the next scheduled hearing will see a plea being entered and evidence submission by the defense.
This indictment of two individuals follows another corruption case involving Fenaka, where the company's former Managing Director, Ahmed Saeed Mohamed, was convicted for Misuse of Official Authority and sentenced to four years in prison.
